Changing Career – Spotlight on Changing Careers

Spotlight on Changing Career

Deciding to change careers is always a risk. In today’s economic climate however, the idea of changing career can seem positively frightening. The best career advice is impartial and objective, but since you’re a real live human being with lots of feelings, it will be important to know a few key things before making the move.

Here are some top tips to consider.

Talk To The People That Matter

Chances are you have responsibilities in your life. You may be married with children, or living with a partner and sharing the mortgage payments. If you’re single, you may be used to a standard of living. Let the people in your life know you’re thinking about changing career and get their input before seeking career advice from a qualified career adviser – they’ll feel more involved in the decision and you’ll know what kind of support to expect as you start your career transition.

Learn About Your Transferable Skills

Just because you’re thinking about changing fields doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to contribute knowledge and skills to your new endeavour. Think about the things that make you successful in your current role and apply those in a broader sense to what you want to do. Examples of transferable skills include: Being able to motivate others, handle disputes, construct project plans or analyse trends. Seek career advice from others that have made the changing career leap and ask them which skills they took with them to their new career.

Decide What You’re Willing to Give Up

Most of the career advice out there will tell you to start by researching the industry you’re interested in. If you begin instead by determining your budget you’ll have a better idea of what your financial needs really are and what sacrifices need to be made. Can you simply reduce your discretionary goods and services that you could do without or will you need to sell your house and move to a less expensive neighborhood? Decide what’s most important to you and take the steps to move forward.

Changing career can feel scary, but the more you know about yourself and the more you keep the people around you involved, the easier it will be.